For those hording toilet paper

Well, next on the agenda is a little revisit to a film I watched in the theatre all alone back in 2002, the remake of Ringu, The Ring, starring Naomi Watts. I hadn't thought much about the film lately, and although we can bitch and moan about remakes all we want, The Ring had me pursuing interest in the Japanese horror influencing it and other remakes. Sometimes remakes can be a *good* thing, not always bad. They can get us to learn about horror films from other countries and pursue them for viewing purposes. 2002 and early 2000s was a good period of horror for me. Availability for Asian horror and different other films was becoming more accessible. Sundance, when it was still cool, the channel used to have a night devoted to horror films from Japan and other countries that featured a variety of difficult plots usually centered around revenge and sins of the past yielding horrors and ghosts needing retribution or causing quite a bit of mayhem to the living. Sometimes, a video tape or cell phone forwards a warning of some kind that will threaten the lives of those who see or hear what they shouldn't. Sometimes just walking into the threshold of a cursed house can mean bad news for the characters in these horror films.

A buddy on Facebook mentioned the film recently which kind of re-ignited my interest in seeing it again. Sometimes that is all it takes, a mention on Facebook. I am not one of those who has grown tired of J-horror, ghost girls, or inanimate objects that curse or forewarn of the dangers to come. As long as the film has a compelling story that keeps me involved somehow, and isn't too on the dull side.

The Ring, anchored by Naomi who had come off of some real (and deserved) praise for Mullholand Drive, and later followed this film up with another rock solid performance in 21 Grams. But The Ring made me aware that the horror genre could bring in top tier talent, and that directors with talent could helm them. No matter how horror is stigmatized, you can't say The Ring isn't horror no matter how Hollywood it might look and feel.